Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005. Tall octavo, beige cloth. pp xx, 382 + colour photos. Index. Fine in fine jacket. "Guana, in the British Virgin Islands, is home to a remarkably diverse assortment of animal and plant life: mangroves, flamingos, iguanas, frogs, birds, snakes, spiders, tortoises, grasshoppers, and bats, to name but a few. What is so surprising about Guana s astonishing panoply is that, according to prevailing ecological theories, the island s diversity should be much lower than it actually is. This provocative book describes Guana s flora and fauna against the backdrop of islands worldwide and their ecology, evolution, and conservation. Much more than a book about one island, it raises important challenges to prevailing dogma of island biogeography and theoretical ecology. James (Skip) Lazell demonstrates that meaningful conservation and avoiding tragic loss of biodiversity demand we know far more about biological interactions, physiographic and geological structure, meteorology, and other factors. He presents compelling evidence that high levels of natural biodiversity underpin ecosystem resilience and stability. Lazell s engaging narrative, containing many entertaining asides and personal reflections, widens into an evocative commentary about the nature of life on earth." 1.5 kg

New York: Consultants Bureau / Plenum Press, 1989. Glossy boards, pp 241. Slight rubbing to the surface gloss, else a fine copy, no owner marks. The development of contemporary molecular biology with its growing tendency toward in-depth study of the mechanisms of biological processes, structure, function, and identification of biopolymers requires application of accurate physicochemical methods. Electrophoresis occupies a key position among such methods. A wide range of phenomena fall un­ der the designation of electrophoresis in the literature at the present time. One common characteristic of all such phenomena is transport by an elec­ tric field of a substance whose particles take on a net charge as a result of interaction with the solution. The most important mechanisms for charge generation are dissociation of the substance into ions in solution and for­ mation of electrical double layers with uncompensated charges on particles of dispersed medium in the liquid. As applied to the problem of separation, purification, and analysis of cells, cell organelles, and biopolymers, there is a broad classification of electrophoretic methods primarily according to the methodological charac­ teristics of the process, the types of supporting media, etc. An extensive literature describes the use of these methods for the investigation of differ­ ent systems. A number of papers are theoretical in nature. Thus, the mi­ croscopic theory has been developed rather completely [13] by considering electrophoresis within the framework of electrokinetic phenomena based on the concept of the electrical double layer.

University of Chicago Press, 2004. Small quarto, blue cloth. pp xxiv, 614. Illustrated, index. Owing its inspiration and title to On the Origin of Species , James W. Valentine s ambitious book synthesizes and applies the vast treasury of phyla theory and research collected in the century and a half since Darwin s time. By investigating the origins of life s diversity, Valentine unlocks the mystery of the origin of phyla. One of the twentieth century s most distinguished paleobiologists, Valentine here integrates data from molecular genetics, evolutionary developmental biology, embryology, comparative morphology, and paleontology into an analysis of interest to scholars from any of these fields. He begins by examining the sorts of evidence that can be gleaned from fossils, molecules, and morphology, then reviews and compares the basic morphology and development of animal phyla, emphasizing the important design elements found in the body plans of both living and extinct phyla. Finally, Valentine undertakes the monumental task of developing models to explain the origin and early diversification of animal phyla, as well as their later evolutionary patterns. Note: 2 kg parcel, extra postage may be required.